


Kintsugi

by thegaymanisgay



Category: Promare (2019)
Genre: Canon Gay Relationship, Everyone Is Gay, M/M, Multi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-10-28
Updated: 2019-10-28
Packaged: 2021-01-05 22:34:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 13,722
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21216146
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thegaymanisgay/pseuds/thegaymanisgay
Summary: "Even if the ideals you look up to fall to the ground, hope never breaks." - Galo Thymos**I'll give this a real summary later, but this fic is currently focusing on Meis and Gueira's backstory. The plot is planned to go through the Promare movie plot and then continue on post-movie as the four boys (Lio, Gueira, Meis and Galo) adjust to their new lives.





	1. Close To You

**Author's Note:**

> I realized I've been spelling Gueira's name wrong my entire time in this fandom, please excuse the misspellings in the first two chapters.

Meis was perfectly content like this. He sat quietly in the corner of the classroom, holding a stuffed bear to his chest. Other kids ran around the room, chasing each other and screaming. Some girls played house with the dolls and a few boys were building a tower out of blocks that kept falling over. Everyone had formed little groups they liked to play with, sometimes switching to new ones when they wanted to do something else. Meis tended to sit by himself, feeling the small beans inside the plushies paws or the soft fur that covered its body. It was calming like this. No one really bugged him and he was fine with it, he liked the quiet that came with being on his own. He liked that he didn't have to worry about making someone mad at him and he got to do what he wanted rather than play by other people's rules. 

He only looked up when the teacher walked in, followed along by another boy. The boy stood tall, dressed in dark blue shorts and a black shirt with a white pocket on the chest. He had a grin on his face and Meis already knew he'd be a hassle to deal with. 

"Good morning everyone!" The teacher spoke, leaning down as she placed a hand on the new boys shoulder, "We have a new friend joining us today! Do you want to introduce yourself, sweetie?" 

"I'm Guiera! I just moved here!" The boy, Guiera, spoke loudly. The deep red eyes of the new boy met his for just a second before Meis turned his gaze back down to the bear in his hands. 

"Everyone be nice to Guiera and welcome him with open arms, okay?" The teacher said with a smile, patting Guiera's back lightly. Guiera immediately took off, running towards the block tower being built by three other boys. 

"I know how to make them really big!" Guiera said, already grabbing a few blocks and showing the boys how to build a sturdy base so the tower could withstand the weight of being built so tall. It didn't take very long for Guiera to get adopted into the class. In just a few days of him being there Meis had heard almost everyone talk about him. The girls thought he was cool, or gross when he'd pick up bugs at recess. The boys all tagged along behind him, always playing along with whatever crazy idea Guiera had thought up for them that day. He'd tried talking to Meis once, but when he didn't respond Guiera was quick to run back to his other friends and join the game of tag they'd started.

During recess Meis liked to sit under the slides and dig in the sand. It was cool in the shade and he was typically left unbothered by the other kids. Typically. 

"How come you're always under here?" A voice asked, making Meis jump in surprise. Peering up, he spotted Guiera's upside down head, dark red and brown hair that usually framed his face falling down. 

"You'll hurt yourself like that, come down." Meis said, worried the boy would fall off the slide and crack his head open. Guiera huffed but disappeared, Meis could hear him sliding down the slide and watched as he poked around the side and wandered inside the small shaded area, sitting right down in front of Meis. 

"Isn't it boring under here? You're all alone." Guiera spoke, looking out at the other kids running around. 

"I like it." Meis answered, continuing to dig his hole. It was always magically filled up the next day, so every recess counted to see how deep he could make his hole. Guiera frowned, seemingly unhappy with the answer. 

"You should come play with us, it's more fun than digging holes." Guiera suggested. Now it was Meis turn to frown, he liked sitting under here! He didn't want to deal with the other kids. He decided not to say anything about it though, not wanting Guiera to get upset with him. Guiera watched him for a bit, Meis slowly growing self conscious as they sat in silence. 

"You don't talk much." Guiera stated. Meis shrugged, trying to focus his attention on the hole he was making rather than the boy in front of him. Guiera pursed his lips as he watched. 

"It's okay if you don't want to talk, you can still play with us." Guiera spoke up again. Meis finally met his gaze. 

"Kids don't usually want to play with someone who doesn't talk." He said, choosing his words slowly. It wasn't that he didn't talk, but he never thought he said the right thing. If he never said anything, he could never say anything wrong. 

"Then you just need to talk more!" Guiera said with a grin as if he'd figured out a puzzle. Meis turned back to the hole. Guiera pouted. 

"You don't have to talk if you don't want to," Guiera repeated, "I'll just talk for you until you're ready!" 

Meis looked up as his hand was grabbed and Guiera dragged him out from under the slides towards a group of boys that were wandering around the grassy field in search of grasshoppers.

"What's your name?" Guiera asked, stopping when they got to the grass.

"Meis." Meis answered softly, feeling his cheeks heat up. 

"Meis is going to help us, guys! We'll catch a lot of grasshoppers today!" 

The grasshoppers jumped up at the shout, the boys all shushing Guiera for scaring them. He apologized with a grin and pulled Meis deeper into the field. 

"The grasshoppers are really fast, so you've got to grab them quick!" Guiera explained in an excited whisper, holding tightly onto his hand as he looked around for one. Spotting a big green one, he let go and pointed. Carefully he approached before diving down with his hands out to catch it. 

"Got it!" He flashed a grin as he stood up, making sure not to let go of the bug. His knees were scraped from the fall, but Guiera didn't even seem to notice. Guiera was missing one of his upper teeth, the hole visible with his wide grin. Meis thought it was cool he was already losing his baby teeth and followed along as Guiera brought the insect to the edge of the field. There was a Tupperware container with a few grasshoppers jumping around inside. 

"The hard part is getting them inside without the others escaping." Guiera explained as he crouched down next to it. 

Meis watched with interest as Guiera lifted the side of the container and shoved his grasshopper inside before quickly closing it back up. At the look on Meis face, Guiera laughed. 

"There's little holes in the sides, so they can breath! We'll let them go before class." He assured. Meis nodded, feeling relieved that they weren't hurting the little bugs. 

"Come on, let's catch more!" 

After that, Meis was always besides Guiera. He didn't talk much, but Guiera did most of that for him. The other boys opened up their group to him happily, Meis quickly becoming an important member of their little crew. Guiera didn't seem to mind the way Meis hung around him like a lost puppy, always taking extra time to make sure Meis was enjoying himself. During class he sat next to Meis and would help him with classwork when Meis seemed to struggle with it. At nap time he'd drag his mat to the corner of the room Meis slept in, always bringing him a stuffed animal from the toy bin. 

The boys were all close, but everyone could tell Meis and Guiera were the closest. Especially when they could hear Meis and Guiera whispering and giggling to each other till they fell asleep during nap time. Overtime Meis spoke up more, getting more daring as he followed in Guiera's footsteps. The teachers thought it was cute, Meis was finally breaking out of the shell he'd had around him all year. 

Kindergarten came and went and Meis spent a lot of his summer at Guiera's house. Guiera had invited him over for his birthday party the first time, handing out invitations the last week of school. Meis was a little scared to go to someone else's house, but he'd had a lot of fun eating cake and playing games with the other kids from class. Guiera had told Meis to come back since they couldn't see each other in school anymore, so he did. The entire summer was filled with days of bug catching, playing video games and running around in his backyard sprinklers. Guiera's parents were nice, his mom was friendly and made them snacks and his dad was a little scary looking but he'd play with them sometimes, teaching them the names of the bugs they'd caught and buying them squirt guns to play with. 

The two boys were ecstatic when they found each other in the same class on the first day of first grade. They picked desks right next to each other and almost instantly found new friends to play with at recess along with a few of their old ones. 

Guiera got rougher as time went on, the playground was bigger than the one they'd had at kindergarten and Guiera took full advantage of it. They played tag a lot, Guiera hopping through bars or climbing on top of domed slides where he wouldn't be caught. Meis was always worried about it, scared his friend would fall off. But Guiera never had a problem with it, even if he did end the day with new cuts and bruises littering his body every day. 

"Meis will always give me bandaids!" He stated proudly as Meis put a new one on his arm.

"You're going to get really hurt one day." Meis pouted. 

"You'll be here to fix me up though!" He flashed a grin. He was no longer missing a tooth and Meis was unsure if he liked it more this way or not.

The years flew by, usually with the two boys in the same class but 3rd grade had been different. They still hung out during lunch and recess though, their friendship going strong. When they moved into middle school, the two continued to spend time with one another. They had fewer classes together now, but were obnoxious in the ones they did have. Guiera talked to him during class, always getting them into trouble with the teachers. During lunch he'd drag Meis to hang out with his new friends he'd made and together an entirely new squad was formed. They still hung out at Guiera's house after school and on some weekends. 

"Jen says I spend too much time with you." Guiera said, sitting on the edge of his bed with a game controller in his hand. 

"Fuck Jen." Meis grumbled. He'd never liked her anyway, she was always getting in other people's business. Guiera laughed, pausing the game as he moved to lay down, resting across his bed so he could peer over the edge at Meis who sat on the floor leaned back against the bed frame. 

"I knew you'd say that." He chuckled, "She's kind of right though."

"What do you mean?" Meis asked, setting the controller on the ground to look at Guiera. 

"We spend a lot of time together. Most guys are starting to get girlfriends now." Guiera hummed. Meis pursed his lips, feeling his stomach twist but being unsure of why he suddenly felt so sick.

"Do you want a girlfriend?" Meis questioned, wondering if he was holding Guiera back from something. He didn't want to get in his way, but he also didn't want to stop hanging out with him. If he got a girlfriend there wouldn't be as much time for him in Guiera's life. 

"Not really." Guiera shrugged, "Do you?" 

"I haven't found anyone I like." Meis spoke. He had a lot of friends, but most of them were guys and even then he didn't really like spending time one on one with people. Guiera was the only exception to that. Guiera hummed softly. 

"Let's keep playing." Guiera said, pressing play again as Meis scrambled to grab his controller so his character wouldn't die. 

Things were weird after that. Meis started noticing when Guiera talked to girls. He didn't seem to be acting any different than he had before with them, but Meis found that he didn't like it now. Guiera would sling his arm around someone's shoulder, laugh at something they'd said and Meis would feel his stomach twist again. It was irritating, noticing everything Guiera did now. Even when they hung out alone, Meis just found himself getting annoyed. He didn't understand it, was scared he was growing apart from his friend. He hung out with him less and less. Guiera would invite him over and Meis would make an excuse on why he couldn't that day. He spent hours on Google late at night, searching for why he was suddenly feeling so angry at his friend for hanging around with other people. Jealousy was the only result he could find, but it didn't explain why he wasn't satisfied even when it was just the two of them.

Guiera was starting to notice something was up. He let Meis pull away from him, spending more time with his other friends instead until they finally snapped. 

"You never talk to me anymore!" Meis burst out after school one day. They were sitting at the park on a bench, they'd been with a few other people who had decided to go to the gas station across the street to buy snacks. Guiera had asked what had been up lately and Meis cracked. Guiera's face faltered, hurt by the accusation. 

"I thought you didn't want me to." He mumbled, gaze turning down to his lap. Meis immediately calmed down, still frustrated with the situation but realizing it hadn't been Guiera's fault alone. He sighed heavily as he looked down as well, shoulder length hair falling out from behind his ear to hide his face. 

"That's not it." Meis said slowly, trying to figure out what to say when he wasn't even sure why any of this had started in the first place.

"Are you mad at me for something?" Guiera asked, voice low as if he didn't want to know the answer in case his guess was right. 

"No."

"Then we can still hang out?" Guiera asked, sounding hopeful. Meis hadn't even realized he was hurting Guiera while he'd been hurting himself. Meis smiled softly, peeking out behind his hair to look at Guiera. 

"Yeah, I want to." Meis said with a small nod. 

"Hey! We bought sodas!" Mohi, one of their friends said, holding up two bottles in one of his hands, one more in the other hand.

"Thanks!" Guiera grinned, taking the two and passing one to Meis. The group walked around the park, Meis feeling instantly more comfortable than he had been the last few weeks now that Guiera and him were back to talking again. Guiera put his arm around Meis shoulders as he laughed, Meis glad that Guiera was right back to his normal self and not letting things get awkward between them. He'd missed him a lot and decided that he couldn't let this happen again. He wanted to stay by Guiera's side, even if it sometimes made him feel weird. 

'Meet me under the bleachers.' A text from Guiera read. Meis frowned, peeking at his phone under his desk. The bleachers? Right now? Meis shoved his phone in his pocket, raising his hand to ask to use the restroom. It'd been a few weeks since they'd made up and it was like they'd never fought in the first place. The boy stood up, leaving the classroom to head across campus to the football field. 

He climbed over the gate he'd been hopping all year long to get under the bleachers, finding Guiera perched on one of the slanted steel beams, pressed against the vertical beam to keep himself from falling off. Guiera flashed a grin when he noticed Meis, patting the spot next to him. Meis climbed up, sitting on the bar and holding onto the one above him so his body wouldn't slide down into Guiera's. 

"What's up?" Meis asked. It wasn't too uncommon for Guiera to ditch class, but something about this time seemed different. 

"Just bored." Guiera said, grin steady on his face. Meis could tell immediately that something was wrong, but he doubted Guiera would tell him what it was.

"I can't stay too long, my teachers an asshole." Meis warned. 

"That's fine." 

The two sat in a comfortable silence, Meis wondering what was going through Guiera's mind. His face was tense, eyes focused ahead but staring at nothing in particular.

"Are you okay?" Meis finally asked, frowning when Guiera finally looked towards him.

"Yeah, I'm fine." Guiera assured, breathing out a long exhale. Meis wasn't so sure, he didn't like seeing Guiera like this. He always bottled things in when they bothered him, despite Meis trying to help him open up about his problems. He couldn't say he wasn't the same way though. 

"Your hairs been getting longer." Guiera commented, reaching out to grab a lock that was sitting in front of Meis face. He carefully let it fall through his fingers, "I like it." 

Meis hand slipped from the bar, body crashing down into Guiera's who laughed and caught him in his arms. 

"Careful." He chuckled. Meis stomach twisted again and he finally understood what this feeling he'd been burying was. He loved Guiera. 

"I should go back to class." Meis mumbled, hopping down from the beam.

"Hey." Guiera spoke up, making Meis stop in his tracks to look back at him. 

"What would you do if someone wasn't what you thought they were?" Guiera asked. Meis furrowed his eyebrows, unsure what he was talking about. 

"If you like hanging around them, does it matter?" Meis asked.

"You're right." Guiera agreed, "Thanks." 

Meis gave him a small nod, feeling confused with his newly acknowledged feelings and wondering what Guiera had been talking about with his question. He wandered back into his class, teacher scolding him for taking so long but not doing anything about it.

Guiera seemed to be doing better next time Meis saw him. They'd had plans to hang out that weekend too! Until Meis got a text from Guiera asking to cancel. He said it was fine, despite having been looking forward to it. The next Monday at school he found Guiera leaning against the building with Mohi, talking about something. Meis wasn't sure what, but he heard the topic switch the second he was noticed. 

"Thanks for hanging out with me on Saturday." Mohi said, giving a wave, "Hey Meis, see you two at lunch!" 

Meis frowned, looking at Guiera with a spark of jealousy in his gut. They'd hung out on Saturday? Was that why Guiera had canceled on him? And why had they changed topics when he approached? 

"Hey, class is starting soon. I'll walk you?" Guiera suggested. Meis nodded, moving to walk with Guiera inside. 

"You hung out with Mohi this weekend?" Meis questioned. He wasn't going to let another misunderstanding arise between them. 

"Yeah, sorry I didn't tell you." Guiera said, offering a sympathetic look. 

"You don't have to tell me that sort of thing." Meis mumbled, despite wanting to be told. But Guiera didn't owe him that, he was allowed to hang out with whoever he wanted. He looked up when he felt the familiar weight of Guiera's arm around his shoulders. 

"It's not what you're thinking," he said, reading right through Meis act, "He's had a rough week. You're still my best friend, it wasn't because I wanted to hang out with him over you." 

Meis couldn't say that didn't relax him. It made his heart flutter to hear that he wasn't being pushed aside for someone else, but crushed him to hear the words best friend. He knew that's what they were, but since realizing his feelings he wanted something different on top. 

"We could have all hung out, we're all friends." Meis pointed out, still a little bitter he'd been ditched, "Why is he having a bad week?" 

"I can't tell you that." Guiera frowned, giving his shoulder a squeeze. Meis sighed softly but nodded. It wasn't Guiera's place to say, he can respect that.

"Okay. I'll see you at lunch." Meis gave him a nod and slipped out of his arm to go into his class.

Guiera spent a lot of time around Mohi now. He still sat by Meis at lunch, but Mohi was always on his other side. When Meis would ask him to hang out at the park after school, he always asked if Mohi could come along. Meis liked Mohi, but he wasn't liking how much time Guiera was suddenly spending with him. He didn't like that he hardly got time with Guiera alone now. Guiera wasn't dumb though, despite spending time with them both now, he gave Meis a little more attention than usual. When they sat, Guiera would let his knee rest against Meis leg. He'd lean on Meis or link their arms together. It all made Meis stomach flip, but he felt jealous at the same time, never sure what exactly was going on between Guiera and Mohi through it all. 

"We're going out for ice-cream tonight." Guiera said, nudging Meis, "You in?" 

"You and Mohi?" Meis questioned. Guiera nodded. Meis looked down, hair falling into his face again. It always did, he needed to cut it. But that time under the bleachers always played through his mind whenever he thought about it, how Guiera had said he liked it long. 

"Is it okay for me to tag along?" Meis asked, feeling unsure with everything going on now. Guiera was spending so much time with Mohi that it was hard not to assume they were secretly dating. 

"Of course, why wouldn't it be?" Guiera questioned, leaning down to try and look at Meis face. 

"I don't know, just don't want to interrupt you two." Meis mumbled. 

"I want you there." Guiera spoke. Meis felt his hair lifted and when he looked up he saw Guiera's face flashing a smile, hand lifting Meis' hair out of his face. 

"If you're sure." Meis sat up, a soft smile on his lips. 

That night the three boys went out, hitting up a local ice-cream shop for a late night frozen treat. The plan was to hang out for a few hours, walk Mohi home and then Meis would spend the night at Guiera's. 

Meis had two missions that night. The first to find out of Guiera actually was dating Mohi, and the second to confess his own feelings if they weren't dating. He'd spent the entire day mulling it over, tired of how jealous he got when Guiera was around others. Since he knew why he felt this way now, he should act on it. Tonight would be the perfect chance, they'd be alone in his room and Meis could start a conversation about it and hopefully tell him.

As they got their cups of ice-cream, they all sat down in the booth, Guiera sitting in the side Meis was in. It was a good sign. They talked for a bit about school, the tests before break, their plans for break. Meis finally got to ask when Mohi mentioned wanting to see a movie coming out. 

"Are you going to take Guiera with you?" He asked casually, trying not to seem too obvious about what he was getting at. 

"I wasn't planning to? But he can come if he wants. You too!" Mohi said with a grin. 

"Oh. I thought you two were a thing." Meis said slowly, hoping his desperation for them to deny it wasn't coming through his voice. Guiera looked at him in surprise while Mohi laughed at the question. 

"You thought we were together?" Mohi questioned. Meis shrugged, feeling a little embarrassed now. 

"Dude, I would have told you." Guiera said sincerely, arm falling over Meis shoulder once again. It was always surprising just how touchy Guiera actually was despite his more punk apparel, "Did you think that this whole time?"

Meis shrugged again, "Sorry, I wasn't sure." 

"Nobody move!" A loud voice boomed, the door to the shop being kicked open. Everyone turned to find a large man, dressed in dark amor holding a freeze gun. 

"Freeze force?" Meis questioned, the two boys he was with tensing.

The guys red eyes met their group, grin spreading across his face as he walked towards their table. Guiera was quick to get up, holding his arms out on either side of him as if protecting Meis and Mohi.

"No one here's a burnish." Guiera spat, eyes narrowing as the guy got closer.

"If that's the case then get out of my way." The guys hand came down quick, violently pushing Guiera to the side.

"Guiera!" Meis shouted, eyes wide in panic as he watched his friend fly across the room from the hit. The freeze force guy grabbed Mohi by the shirt, roughly pulling him out of the booth. 

"You're coming with me, burnish." He grinned. 

"He's not-!" Meis tried to correct him, but the bright pink and blue sparks suddenly flying from Mohi palms told a different story. Suddenly his body blew up in flames as he screamed. 

"Let me go!" 

Mohi was dropped, but another freeze force member shot a freeze gun, encasing him in a block of ice. Meis watched in horror as two members of FF picked up his captured friend to carry him to their vehicles waiting outside. 

"Get your filthy hands off him!" Guiera screamed, pushing himself up from the floor, pouncing towards one of the guys who'd been carrying Mohi away. Guiera was only pushed back again. 

"Don't touch him!" Guiera screamed again, his own body going aflame now. His eyes widened as he looked down at his hands, but only for a second before his shock turned into a smirk. 

"Let him go!" Guiera demanded, the flames pushing out of his body, heat so intense even Meis could feel it. He saw the glimmer of light reflect off a freeze gun as it was raised. His body moved before his brain had caught up, jumping in front of Guiera just as the shot was fired. Everything was cold.

The ice was hard to see out of. He saw a glimpse of bright flames leaving the building, then Freeze Force running after. He watched as Mohi was loaded into one of the Freeze Force's trucks outside and then was finally released from his own ice prison. He was cold, soggy and confused. The police came, bright red and blue lights flashing in the dark night. Meis was given a blanket and hot coffee while his mom was called and questioned by officers about the burnish he'd been with. He hadn't known either of them were burnish, and hadn't known where Guiera had run to. He was released to go back home with his mom shortly after the questioning.

His mom tried to talk to him, ask about what had happened but Meis said he didn't want to talk about it right now. She thankfully didn't ask any more, letting Meis sit with his forehead pressed against the window of the car and watching the trees pass. His friends had been burnish and he hadn't even known. 

"What would you do if someone wasn't what you thought they were?" The question Guiera had asked only weeks ago loomed in his mind. Is this what that had been about? Had Guiera known he was burnish? No, he had looked surprised when he was set aflame. Maybe Mohi was and had told Guiera? That had to have been it, it would also explain why they had started hanging out so much recently despite not dating. Guiera must have just become burnish tonight. The flames were a weird mutation, the mutation awakening at different stages in life for everyone who got it. Meis wasn't sure what he was supposed to think of this, only hoped that Guiera had managed to escape.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!! I've been having so much fun writing this fic and I'm super excited to write more! I have a lot planned for this~!!


	2. Do I Ever Cross Your Mind

The next day Meis went to his usual spot beside the school building where he tended to meet Guiera before class. Guiera almost always got there before him, Meis was hoping that would be the case today, they needed to talk after last night. The wall was empty. Meis hoped he was just late for school, but he already knew that wasn't the case. Guiera had either been captured by Freeze Force last night or he was somewhere out there on his own. 

He'd tried to research more about burnish when he was unable to fall asleep, but hadn't found anything he didn't already know. There were articles about what the burnish were, about Freeze Force and Burning Rescue teams that kept the city safe from the burnish and even some forms that were harder to find about what it felt like when your burnish side awoke. But ultimately the information wasn't very useful. 

Class dragged on, Meis with his head on his desk as he struggled to stay awake and concentrate on what was being said. He didn't really care anyway, more worried about Guiera. At lunch Meis went to his group of friends who all questioned the whereabouts of Mohi and Guiera. Meis begrudgingly told them the events of last night. How Mohi had been burnish and how Guiera had tried to defend him from Freeze Force till he turned burnish himself. At the looks on their faces, Meis left out the part of him trying to help Guiera.

"They were burnish?" One sneered, "I can't believe we hung out with them." 

"I used to look up to Guiera." Another frowned, looking physically ill. 

"Of course he'd end up a burnish, he was always so rowdy." A different boy spoke up. Meis scowled, turning his head down so his hair covered his face. 

"You probably hate yourself for being so close to him, Meis." 

Meis slammed his fists on the table, standing up. He said nothing as he walked off, not bothering to give an excuse for his sudden leave. 

Rumors spread around the school fast. Guiera who had been looked up to by many, who everyone had thought was cool, was suddenly dismissed as nothing but a disgusting burnish. The stories people used to rave about, had twisted into shame. Meis was glad Guiera never showed back up at school so he wouldn't have to deal with this treatment, but he had to. Everyone knew they had been childhood friends, knew they'd been close till that night. They accused Meis of keeping it a secret, accused him of being a burnish himself. The bullying was relentless, starting with words and moving onto physical. Meis shut down quick, the shell Guiera had broken him out of had come back a thousand times stronger.

At lunch Meis would read books, sitting at the table furthest from everyone else in the cafeteria. His group of friends no longer spoke to him, most taking part in the bullying he now received. He hated it, but he always thought about how glad he was that Guiera wasn't here to see it happening.

Every night dragged on, Meis struggling to sleep but wishing he could so he didn't have to think. He'd call Guiera's phone before bed and sometimes again a few hours later just so he could hear his voicemail. At first he would hang up when the machine beeped, but he'd soon started talking to the empty air. It became a routine, call Guiera's phone, listen to his voice and then tell the voicemail about his day and how much he missed him. He'd wish Guiera was okay and some nights he'd confess the feelings he never got the chance to share. 

Weeks passed with no news. He couldn't find anything about Guiera in the news, never knew if Freeze Force had gotten him or not. He didn't even know if Guiera was still alive. He didn't think he was dead, having a feeling that the world would be different if he was. But not having any proof, he could only hope he was right. Meis fell into bed, holding his phone up to find dial Guiera's number. Right before he clicked call, his screen lit up with Guiera's picture asking him to accept a call. 

Meis had never clicked accept so quickly in his life, sitting up in surprise as he held the phone against his ear. 

"Guiera? Is that you? Are you okay?" Meis asked, chest filling with hope.

"No, it's his Dad, sorry Meis. We still haven't heard from him." 

Meis instantly deflated, falling back onto his bed. As quick as his excitement had come, a new feeling of being crushed came over him.

"We know you've been calling him every night, but we're shutting off his phone. I thought you'd want to know." Guiera's dad said. Meis felt his heart break more with every word he said. He wouldn't even be able to have this anymore. 

"Thanks." Meis said softly, glad he at least had the warning. He wasn't sure what he'd do if he wanted to hear Guiera's voice and the line went dead. 

"I hope you're doing okay, Meis. If you want to come over sometime and talk, you're welcome anytime. We miss him too, and you." 

"Yeah, maybe." Meis sighed, "Thank you again." 

He wasn't sure if he'd be able to handle going to his house or seeing his parents again. When the two said their goodbyes, Meis spent the next hour calling Guiera's phone, unsure when he might be able to hear his voice again. 

Another month went by, Meis just barely pushing himself through the days. His mom was worried for him but was never sure how to help. He finally showed up at Guiera's house and was welcomed with open arms. Meis felt like he was hit by a train when he walked in, memories flooding into him as he looked around. He sat with Guiera's parents on the couch, talking to them for the first time since Guiera had ran away. He told them about that night, how Guiera had tried to protect Mohi. They sat quietly nodding, listening to Meis even when his voice became incoherent as he tried to talk around his own sobs. He hadn't even realized he was crying until he couldn't breath and Guiera's dad's arm was around his shoulders. He appreciated the sentiment, but it really only reminded him of Guiera's habit.

Guiera's dad helped him up, leading him to the bathroom to wash his face once he'd finally calmed down. He left Meis alone as he grabbed a washcloth and scrubbed his now red face. Leaving the bathroom, Meis paused, staring at the closed door of Guiera's room. He couldn't stop himself from going inside.

The room was exactly how he'd last seen it. The laundry basket was still half full of dirty clothes, his homework was scattered across his desk, bed unmade and the wires from his game controllers tangled across the floor in front of his TV. Everything smelled like him, something Meis didn't realize he'd missed until just now. He walked around slowly, taking in every detail of the bedroom he'd spent so much time in with him. He stopped at the bookshelf, finding a framed picture of them, Guiera's arm over Meis while holding up a peace sign and grinning. Meis had a matching grin, cheeks dusted pink and his own peace sign held up. He smiled fondly as he picked it up, blowing the dust off the glass. 

He set it back down carefully, moving onto the closet, opening it up to look for the hoodie Guiera used to wear. It was a basic dark red and black hoodie, the base of the jacket black with red sleeves and hood. Unable to find it, Meis took a step back. What was he doing? He couldn't steal Guiera's hoodie even if he did find it. He sighed softly, turning back to the rest of the room, taking it in one last time, unsure if he would ever come back. 

Spotting a familiar shade of red, Meis bolted to the laundry basket, pulling out the hoodie he'd been looking for. Clutching it to his chest, the garment engulfed him in Guiera's smell. Meis put it on, no longer caring about stealing it. He needed something. 

"Meis are you doing okay?" Guiera's dad's voice called. Meis jumped in surprise, almost forgetting he was in someone else's house. 

With a quick movement, Meis snagged the picture frame he'd looked at earlier and shoved it into the hoodies pocket before leaving the room. 

"Thank you for letting me come over." Meis said, giving a soft bow to Guiera's parents, hands buried in the pocket to keep the frame from falling out. A knowing look was shared between the two adults at Meis in their son's favourite hoodie, but nothing was said about it as they sent him off. 

"Take care of yourself, Meis. Come over any time." Guiera's mom said, giving him a soft smile. With that, Meis left, walking back home while looking at the picture. 

Heartbroken and worn down, Meis struggled his way into highschool. His mom had suggested he switch schools, but Meis refused. What if they moved and Guiera came back? How would Guiera find him if he wasn't here? So Meis went to the highschool closest to his house, not caring that it wasn't the best school in the area and if everyone who'd bullied him in middle school was also going there.

The bullying had lightened up in highschool, but not by much. Meis ignored everyone and had soon blended himself into the background. His nights got easier too. He thought about Guiera less and less, every day had turned into every week and soon he only thought about Guiera in passing. The hoodie had long ago lost its scent and was now shoved in the back of his closet. Meis finally thought he was getting over it, finally able to put thought into his own life beyond Guiera. He'd started going out again, he didn't have many friends but he went grocery shopping often. He'd switched to a vegan diet and spent a lot of time cooking and trying new things. It wasn't much, but it was more than laying in bed all day. 

Picking out vegetables at the store, Meis caught a flash of red and brown hair to his side. He dropped his basket in shock, the entire produce section turning to look at him. The guy with the hair that had looked like Guiera's looked at him in surprise. 

"Are you okay?" The man asked, taking a step forward. Everything crumbled as he ran out of the store, leaving behind his basket. He was supposed to be better! But seeing that guy… It felt like he had been dragged back to the same night Guiera had left.

Two years of highschool went by, Meis putting just enough effort into his classes not to fail them, but nothing more. He was on a constant path of recovery and crashing when something reminded him too much of Guiera. He was a mess, but he was doing what he could. Then his mom got sick. 

After school he started going straight to the hospital, to visit her. Home life had always been difficult to manage, his dad usually never home and the house dead silent when he was. His mom had been the only adult asides from Guiera's parents who'd ever actually cared about Meis and he didn't want to lose her. 

Meis was there when she took her last breath, Dad nowhere to be found. It was the final straw. Meis felt a sudden vibration in his chest, impossible heat filling his body. He watched his mom's bed go aflame, her body decay in the heat. Meis heard shouting in the halls, but was out the window before the doctors had made it to the room. 

He screamed and cried flames as he ran, unsure where he was going but knowing just like Guiera, he could never look back. 

He ditched his phone, worried he'd be tracked down with it. He found himself in a forest, curled up at the base of a tree as he tried to calm himself down, he couldn't run around town with burnish flames pouring from his body, Freeze Force would catch him immediately. Hearing the loud roar of their engines above him, flying towards the hospital was enough to sober Meis up. He pushed himself up, wiping his dry eyes red with evaporated tears and ran further. 

He stayed on the outskirts of town, trying to find other burnish while living in the shadows. Eating was hard, having to scavenge through trash cans to find something that wouldn't make him sick. His newly acquired flames were helpful for cooking on the go, but he had to be far from town to avoid anyone seeing him use them.

He finally found others in a burst of noise. Sirens ran out as laughing voices and motorcycle engines could be heard from town. Meis followed the noise, hiding in an alley to watch the scene unfold. Burnish flames filled the streets, a group of guys in black leather outfits and helmets that had what looked like sharp yellow teeth on them rode past on motorcycles. 

Everyone wore a similar outfit to one another except one who was in a suit of amour much bigger than the rest. Their armor was mostly black and had the same yellow teeth on the face, but had dark purple highlights. That must be the leader. 

"Burn it to the ground!" A large feminine sounding voice said, coming from the large suit of armor. 

Meis had of course heard about this group, The Mad Burnish. They were an arson terrorist group that had started after the great world blaze 26 years ago when the burnish had first started appearing. The group was violent, set fire to the city for an unknown reason. Meis had always been turned off to them, but after the hate Guiera had received and becoming burnish himself, Meis understood them a little more. The flames inside him were hard to contain. He'd thought at first his emotions controlled the flames, and while that could make the flames stronger, they constantly begged to burn no matter how Meis felt. He could contain them most of the time, but it was still a struggle not to give in to the flames will to burn hotter and harder. The Mad Burnish had an outlet for those feelings that Meis didn't.

The group formed a large fireball together, throwing it at a nearby building to watch it explode. Meis cringed as he heard the screams from inside. 

"I love watching it burn!" A familiar voice laughed. Meis attention turned in the direction he'd heard it, a voice he only had in his memories. 

"Guiera?" He whispered, body stepping out of the shadows. Guiera had joined the Mad Burnish? 

The guy spotted him and time seemed to freeze. It had only been a second before he drove off, but it had felt like an eternity starting at the helmet while everything around him had faded out. 

Meis felt his soul crumble, falling to his knees as the boy he'd been thinking of almost nonstop for the past three years drove away from him. 

"Burning Rescue on the scene, scram!" The leaders voice rang out as sirens got louder. 

The rest of the group took off. No, no! Meis may not be fond of the Mad Burnish, but he had finally found other burnish. He didn't want to be alone again. He didn't even realize the flames form around him, a desperate call to be noticed. 

"Strong burnish signals from the alley!" A voice yelled, a block of ice already being shot towards Meis. He couldn't react, but he did feel his body hit the floor. 

"What the hell are you doing?" The Mad Burnish leaders voice yelled, her body on top of him. She must have tackled him to the ground to avoid the shot. Meis didn't get the chance to say anything as she pulled him up and threw his body at one of the guys on a bike who caught him. 

"Hold on tight!" The guy warned, revving the engine. Meis didn't need to be told twice, arms twisting around the guys waist and pulling himself close against his chest as he took off to make their escape. 

Meis shut his eyes tight as they met up with the other members of the Mad Burnish who rode across a dry desert. He felt the body he was holding shrink in size as the leather suit and helmet faded to ash that blew off in the wind behind them. Meis finally dared to peek, finding himself clinging to a blond man with sunglasses and facial hair. Looking around, the other members had gotten rid of their suits too, now clothed in regular outfits and their bikes formed from their burnish flames. 

He spotted a familiar head of red and brown biking ahead of them. It really was him. Guiera was alive and had joined the Mad Burnish. 

They finally pulled up to their destination, an abandoned building far from any town Meis knew of. Meis climbed off the bike, gaze kept down despite the billion questions racing through his mind. 

"So you're burnish now." Guiera spoke behind him, hand falling on Meis shoulder. Meis felt like he was going to break all over again when he turned and saw Guiera's face. He'd grown, hair was a little longer now, his facial features sharp as he had lost all his baby fat.

"Yeah." Meis answered, hair falling in his face. He'd grown too. Shoulder length hair had grown longer, he'd grown taller now standing a few inches above Guiera rather than the other way around like it had been. Guiera pulled him into his arms. 

"I missed you." He spoke softly, hands curling into the dirty fabric of Meis shirt. 

"I missed you too." Meis whispered right back, his own arms moving around him, burying his face in Guiera's dusty hair. He didn't care, he was probably worse having lived in the woods for the past couple of weeks. Guiera pulled away first and Meis let him. 

A few of the others surrounded them, but most had gone off to do whatever they normally did around here. The one Meis had rode with was nowhere to be spotted, but Meis really only cared about Guiera right now. 

"Come on." Guiera spoke, starting to walk inside. Meis followed behind, reminded of the time they'd met. Inside the building was filled with people. There were blankets hung up as curtains, offering privacy behind them. Kids sat in a circle playing together while some adults did laundry. Everyone here must be burnish, but it didn't seem like everyone was part of Mad Burnish. 

"This is where we're staying right now, but it's subject to change so don't get too comfortable." Guiera spoke up, leading him through the building. He pulled aside a curtain and walked into a small sectioned off area. It held a thin mattress and a blanket as well as a small shelf with a few toiletries on it. 

"This is my room." Guiera said, sitting down on the mattress, patting the spot next to him. Meis sat, looking around despite not having much to see. This is how Guiera had been living the past few years? 

"We'll find a place for you to stay. You can find something you're good at here and help contribute around." Guiera said. Meis assumed this was an impromptu orientation to this group. Did this mean he was part of Mad Burnish now? 

"What do you do?" Meis asked curiously, unsure what sort of things he could do to help out. 

"I'm part of Mad Burnish. We scavenge for food, supplies and other burnish before Freeze Force can get them." Guiera answered. Meis already knew he had joined, but it still felt weird hearing it. Guiera had always been rowdy, but he wasn't cruel. 

"It's been a couple years, Meis." Guiera said with a sigh, "I've changed." That may be true, but even with all that time spent apart, Guiera still knew how to read right through him. 

"Let me join too then." Meis spoke before thinking it though. Seemed a lot of his life had gone like that, never thinking through the things he should. 

"No." Guiera said strictly, "It's too dangerous." 

"I'll ask someone else then." Meis said with determination. He wasn't going to let Guiera put himself in danger without him. He was always supposed to have been by his side to help patch him up when he got hurt, he didn't like that Guiera was putting himself into danger. 

"Can you control your flames yet? Control the temperature? Solidify them?" Guiera questioned.

"I didn't know that was possible.." Meis admitted softly. Guiera shook his head in disbelief. 

"You're not ready to join then, I don't want you getting hurt." 

Meis frowned, suddenly feeling like the distance between them was more than just time. Guiera had spent the last few years on the run, had joined a terrorist group! There was a lot that Meis didn't know about him now and the difference was painfully clear no matter how much he wished things were different. 

"Do you still like to cook?" Guiera asked, expertly changing the topic, "You should use that skill. We don't have a lot of ingredients to work with, but macaroni and cheese gets boring when that's all we have available." 

Meis slowly nodded. He did like to cook, he cooked a lot of meals at home for himself. It came along with being vegan, a diet Meis was sure he wouldn't be able to healthily maintain now that he was on the run. Couldn't exactly go grocery shopping for ingredients when you couldn't be seen in the general public. 

"I'll set you up with a shift in the kitchen then." Guiera said, standing back up, "Let's find a place for you to sleep too." 

"Can I stay near you?" Meis asked, maybe a little too hopeful. Guiera had been his best friend and he didn't know anyone else here. If Guiera wouldn't let him join the Mad Burnish right now, he wanted to at least be close by. 

"No." Guiera spoke, voice cracking. His face looked pained, very different from the wide grin Meis was used to seeing. He didn't like this, he didn't like any of this. This wasn't how things were supposed to have ended up. Guiera found Meis a job in the kitchen staff as promised and a sectioned off area he could live in. Meis couldn't help but notice how far away it was from Guiera's own spot. He didn't say anything about it though, worried he was bringing Guiera down in some way. 

When they'd been in school, Guiera had always made their path. Meis followed along and was treated as an equal to him. But ultimately it was Guiera who had brought him up by his side, Meis had just simply followed. Without Meis holding him back, had Guiera finally found a place he belonged? Somewhere he could be rowdy and destructive? Guiera clearly didn't want Meis getting into his business here, putting a physical distance between them. Gueria was in Mad Burnish, Meis worked at the kitchen. Their rooms were on opposite ends of the building, making sure their interactions were minimal at best. 

Meis fell into a new routine. He was used to this by now, being thrown somewhere, surviving with himself and learning his role so he wouldn't be a bother to others. He woke up early, gathering with the rest of the kitchen staff to meal plan for the week and make breakfast. After serving everyone he helped clean around the building and watch the kids whose guardians were in Mad Burnish. He'd go back to the kitchen to make lunch, have a break, make dinner and find something to do until it was time for bed. Every night he'd lay in his makeshift bed until he was sure the majority of the building was asleep before he snuck out into the surrounding desert. He practiced his flames, learning through trial and a lot of error on how to control his new power better. It was frustrating not knowing what you were supposed to be doing, most of his nights felt more like a waste of time than progress. 

"You're lighting yourself on fire out here every night." A voice said behind Meis. The boy jumped, turning to find the girl speaking to him. He recognised her immediately as the Mad Burnish leader, Yune. Despite not being in her armour, the girl stood tall with a powerful stance.

"Are your flames calls that strong?" She questioned. Meis shook his head. His flames always spoke to him to burn, wanting more, wanting to consume everything around him. But they were controllable. Lighting small fires for the kitchen was enough to tame them for the day. 

"I'm trying to learn how to use them." Meis said, holding out his hand as a flame danced to life in his palm. 

"Guiera said I wasn't ready to join the Mad Burnish until I could control my flames, I want to fight beside him." Meis said. It was embarrassing to admit his want to stand next to Guiera as equals once again when Guiera seemed to want nothing to do with him. The girl laughed, a deep hearty sound that made Meis tense up with anxiety. 

"You've got determination, kid." Yune grinned, "Meis, right?" 

She knew his name? He nodded, standing up straighter at her acknowledgement.

"I'll teach you whatever you want to know." She said, "But I won't go easy on you."

Every night Yune came to teach him. She trained him hard for several hours at a time, never giving him a break. She was a strict teacher, but did it all with care. Even when worked to the bones he knew she was doing this for his own good. She didn't have to take time out of her night to do any of this, so Meis repaid her kindness by being a good student. Yune didn't talk much about herself, only mentioning how she had learned to control her own powers or instructing Meis on how to better position his body when in combat. 

A month passed, Meis becoming unsure with how long he could keep this up. He lost a lot of sleep due to training and had a busy schedule during the day. He'd been too eager to make his presence worthy to the small community when he'd first started working there, taking on a few too many tasks to manage. But he gave it his all, determined to show Guiera he was capable of standing next to him again.

"Make the armor." Yune commanded him that night. Meis closed his eyes, letting his bright flames swirl around his body and settle into a solid weight around him. His armor was simple in design, the same black leather pants and jacket the other members wore along with the helmet adorned with the famous sharp yellow teeth. 

"Your bike." Yune instructed next. Letting out an exhale he made the parts around him, wheels and an engine that came together into a working vehicle. 

"I think you're ready." Yune said with a nod. Meis flashed a grin, feeling the excitement building in his chest. 

"You wanted to join us, right?" She asked, walking closer, "Welcome to the Mad Burnish, kid." 

Meis bowed his head.

"Thank you. I'll work hard." He promised. 

"Don't doubt it, now get to bed. I won't be training you anymore." Yune flashed him a grin, shooing him off. 

Meis let his armor and bike turn to ash before he pulled himself back to the building. He had finally taken the first step to get closer to Guiera. With that thought on his mind, he fell onto his mattress falling into an immediate sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was hard because I kept crying while trying to write it. I even ended up having to take a nap because I got so upset haha. Things will get better though!!


	3. This Side Of Me

His day started the same, waking up and moving into the kitchen to start everyone's meal for the day with the other kitchen staff members. Yune hadn't given him much information about what it actually meant to be part of the Mad Burnish, so he assumed he should go about his day as normal until she instructed him otherwise. He was giddy, an excitement running through his veins that almost had him burning the bottom of a pot when he used his hand to light a fire under it.

"You seem happier today." A girl who was also part of the kitchen staff commented with a soft smile. Meis couldn't help the way his lips twitched up, giving a small nod. How could he not be happy today? He was finally going to get Gueira to notice him, finally show his old friend that he'd grown too. This whole month Gueira had hardly even looked at him, Meis had to show him he could handle this new Burnish life.

"Attention!" Yune's loud voice called throughout the building, "All Mad Burnish members are to meet outside in an hour for a meeting!" 

It wasn't uncommon for the group to hold meetings, but Meis could usually ignore the announcements. Anxiety and eagerness bubbled inside him as he began to serve the Burnish their meals. It was set up like a cafeteria line, they'd grab a plate and walk through getting food. 

"Meis."

The boy looked up, finding Yune in front of him.

"Don't worry about clean up duty today, make sure you're at the meeting. Gotta introduce you to the rest of the gang." She said with a grin. He gave a nod, spotting Gueira further down in the line. He hoped joining had been a good idea. He should probably try to tell Gueira though, before he finds out with everyone else. Yune got her food then moved on. Meis watched the passing faces, serving them their food and trying to figure out what to say to Gueira in the few seconds the line would allow them to talk. Gueira was just two people away now, Meis could feel his heart race as he scrambled to find the right words.

“Freeze Force!” A voice screamed, sending the room into instant panic. 

“Everyone stay calm! Follow procedure!” Yune yelled, already forming into her armor, “Xe! Meis is with your group, help him out!” 

“Right!” A new voice said. In an instant almost all the Mad Burnish members were in gear, Meis realizing he should be doing the same. Flames encased his body as his armor formed, Freeze Force bursting in through a wall. Turning towards where Gueira had stood, Meis caught the look of both shock and anger on the redheads face before a helmet formed over it and he turned away to work with the others. Right, Meis had other things to worry about right now. 

“Meis, let’s go!” the voice who’d spoken earlier said, a shorter person in Mad Burnish gear grabbed Meis’ hand and pulled him along. 

“Everyone this way!” They yelled over the noise, “Mad Burnish will handle this!” 

Meis could only follow along behind the other, watching as they not only lead Meis out the back of the building but gathered up the other Burnish as well. 

“Bike.” The smaller person demanded, shooting a glance to Meis. It only took a minute for it to form and Meis to hop on, he was grateful for the training he’d done with Yune, now able to form his bike quickly rather than the hours it had sometimes taken as he learned about the shapes and necessities to build a functioning bike of flames. 

The Mad Burnish member only gave the vehicle a quick nod before they were picking up a young girl and handing her to Meis. 

“Meis!” The girl whined, grabbing onto Meis tightly, tears in her eyes. Meis recognized her as one of the kids he’d babysat some afternoons. 

“Keep her safe, follow everyone else, I’ll follow along in the back.” The person said, already grabbing another child and getting onto their own bike that burned green. 

Looking ahead, the group of Mad Burnish members were already taking off, their vehicles larger than regular bikes to accommodate carrying a civilian or two. 

Meis started his engine, looking down at the tearful girl in his lap. 

“Hold on tight okay, we’re going to go fast. You’ll be alright.” He promised. The girl nodded and clutched onto Meis, grip tightening when Meis took off to join the rest of the group. 

He could hear the noise behind him, the fighting louder than his engine as shots were fired and the smoke of evaporated water filled the air. Gueira wasn’t with the escape group, Meis could only assume he was fighting to hold Freeze Force back, helping to let the group flee safely. 

They rode for hours, Meis could feel his body wearing down as he forced himself to keep his bike formed. His armor had long vanished, the girl in his lap’s grip had loosened but she still stayed wrapped around him, oddly patient with the long ride. 

Finally they approached a rundown warehouse, Mad Burnish helping the civilians off their bikes and then letting them fade away. Meis did the same, more tired than he’d ever felt but satisfied with the feeling all the same.

“It was Meis, right?” A familiar voice spoke beside him. Looking down Meis spotted green hair on the short Mad Burnish member. 

“Yeah.” Meis nodded, watching the little girl run off to another civilian who happily picked her up. The green haired member gave a smug grin.

“You did good for your first mission. Yune said she was excited for you to join.” They stuck their hand out towards Meis with a grin, “I’m Xe, I handle non-Mad Burnish civilians, primarily in escapes. Welcome to my team!” 

“Team?” Meis asked as he shook their hand. 

“Oh right, you were kind of rushed into the group. Usually at your introduction meeting we explain everything. You didn’t exactly get that though.” Xe’s smile faltered, “That’s how it goes with Freeze Force though. Best to get used to it.” Their grin was picked right back up though, waving for Meis to follow. 

“I’ll give you a quick rundown as we check out our new home!” They said as they walked to the warehouse with the others. 

“Mad Burnish has been around about 26 years now, formed shortly after Burnish started awakening.” They spoke. Meis looked at them as they walked, they couldn’t be any older than him.

“Things got violent over our existence pretty quickly, we all know the history. Mad Burnish was fighting against that, demanding a place in society to live their old lives. It’s what we still fight for today, but things have changed.” Xe frowned again, “Segregation turned to imprisonment, just for being Burnish. Our goal used to be to demand attention, to never back down and shout that we exist to the world! Demand our respect by refusing to hide ourselves. Now we just want to live. It doesn’t matter if we never rejoin society, we just don’t want to die.” 

Meis looked down, letting the information sink in. He’d always wondered what Mad Burnish’s goal was. Acceptance. Just like his own plea for help of setting himself aflame when he’d found the Mad Burnish, needing their attention, the Mad Burnish just wanted to be recognized too. They were in pain. 

“Our main priorities now are rescuing other Burnish and raiding for needed supplies. We burn buildings to let our smaller teams raid. We have three main sections in Mad Burnish, my section that takes care of the Burnish who don’t wish to join Mad Burnish, Yune’s group who causes all the commotions in town and Ricardo’s group who handles gathering supplies and finding other Burnish people. I’m pretty sure he’s the one who rode you into base.” 

“Which group is Gueira in?” Meis asked, words practically blurting from his mouth. Xe chuckled, “You guys used to be friends right? When you were kids?” 

“Yeah...” Meis frowned, unsure how Xe even knew that. Meis had mentioned it briefly to Yune, but that was it. 

“I’m really never gonna hear the end of it now.” They laughed, lightly punching Meis in the arm, “He’s in Yune’s group. His flames are amazing! Yune usually hates having people as young as us in such dangerous roles, but Gueira just has talent! He could probably take on most of the adults here one-on-one!”

“Yune’s group?” Meis questioned with a frown. He liked hearing someone talk positively about Gueira, it’d been so long since he’s heard praise of him. But the crushing realization that Gueira was in what sounded like the most dangerous position flooded over. Xe must have noticed the change in his demeanor cause they were instantly patting his back. They had to stand on their tiptoes to reach which would have been funny if Meis didn’t have his old worry flowing through him again. 

“Don’t worry too much, Gueira knows what he’s doing. Let’s grab some good spots to sleep! I’ll introduce you to the rest of our team too!” Xe said, the optimism in their voice was at least enough for Meis to convince himself that they knew what they were talking about. 

As Xe checked out the building, Meis found himself following them around. 

“Are you close to Gueira?” Meis asked. 

“Very.” Xe laughed, “When I first got here there wasn’t many other kids. I was the youngest person in the whole camp. Gueira joined a couple months later and since we were around the same age, we hung out a lot.” 

Meis nodded, almost running into Xe as they suddenly stopped. 

“Here. I like sleeping in the back of the building, I can make sure everyone’s able to leave in case of a raid.” Xe said, then frowned. 

“We’re always short on supplies after a raid, can’t actually set up an area.” 

Despite having only the things on their backs, it looked like everyone else was already settling down, rejoining with their friends or family, talking, laughing and hugging. 

“Everyone looks so happy.” Meis commented, unsure how they could laugh after that.

“We survived another raid, worth celebrating.” Xe jumped up to smack Meis’ shoulder, “Come on, let’s meet the team.” 

Meis followed along, Xe was still talking but Meis found it hard to pay attention. He was too worried about Gueira and the rest of Mad Burnish, too lost in how others were finding reason to celebrate after being forced from their home. 

Xe’s team was lively and loud, welcoming Meis with open arms. He felt awkward around them, used to blending into the more quiet crowds. It seemed the majority of the Mad Burnish members were loud and confident in themselves and their teammates. Despite the anxiety building in his chest, Meis wanted to join them. He wanted to be able to say ‘I’m here too!’ He didn’t care to rejoin society like the rest probably did, but if at least Gueira could see him again, that would be enough. 

“Hey Xe, when are the others going to get here?” Meis asked, peeking out the buildings shattered windows. The sun was already starting to set and Yune’s group was nowhere to be seen. 

“Dunno. It can take a couple days sometimes.” Xe explained, “They have to make sure Freeze Force doesn’t follow them and they have to find us themselves.”

“They don’t know where we are?” Meis asked.

“They have a general idea, we try to have backup shelters ready but they never know which one we’ll go to or which one has been compromised.” 

Meis frowned, looking towards the door. A couple days of not knowing if Gueira was okay? He’s already spent the last few years like that, he didn’t want to do it all over again.

“He’ll be okay, he’s done this a million times.” Xe assured, nudging Meis, “How about you get some sleep. I’ll be on night watch so you’re in good hands.”

“Will you wake me up if Gueira comes back?” Meis asked. Xe gave a small smile and a nod, “Of course. Sleep well, Meis.” 

Falling asleep was easier said than done. Meis felt like it was the first night Gueira had run away all over again. He knew it was less likely Gueira would get hurt now, he had built up experience, he was stronger and had people by his side to help him. After tossing and turning all night, eventually Meis found himself waking up.

“You’re up.” Xe chuckled, they were sitting by him with a tray of half eaten food in their lap, another full tray beside them. 

“I brought you breakfast, figured you needed your sleep.”

“Is Gueira back?” Meis asked as he sat up, taking the other tray with thanks.

“You only have one thing on your mind,” Xe snickered, “Not yet. Give it a bit longer.”

Meis gave a soft nod, poking at the small meal he was offered. Eggs. He’d gotten better at forcing foods down, but not being able to survive off vegan foods was a huge reminder of the situation he was in, that they were all in. 

“Hey, you still care about Gueira a lot even after all these years. What happened between you two anyway? I thought he’d be a lot more excited to see you.” Xe asked. Meis shrugged, turning down to his food. He’d thought about this a lot actually.

“I’m not sure. He turned Burnish in middle school, that night I had thought he was dating our friend Mohi. Maybe he’s upset about that?” Meis really wasn’t sure what else it could be, they’d hardly talked since he’d gotten there.

“I don't think Gueira’s the type to be mad about something like that.”

“I know.” Meis mumbled, burying into himself, “I can’t think of any other reason, I want things to go back to the way they were.” 

“Things are never going to go back. But things can go forward.” Xe sighed, “If you want my opinion, I think he’s scared.”

“Scared?”

“For you. He always talked about you, wished you were safe and happy. Now that you’re Burnish, I think he’s worried.”

Meis’ heart fluttered. If that was true though, why was he going so far to avoid him?

“He doesn’t have to protect me, I’m not a kid anymore.” Meis grumbled. 

“I think you guys should try to talk.” Xe said, leaning their head back against the wall, “A conversation is the only way you’ll find out each other's thoughts.”

“Yeah you’re right, sorry for complaining.” Meis sighed. Xe laughed and stood up with their tray.

“Try to keep yourself busy the next few days. It’ll help.” Xe said before they walked off with a small wave. Talk to Gueira? Meis wanted to more than anything, when would he even get the chance though? 

As it turns out, there wasn’t a ton to do. It seemed everyone tried to keep themselves busy when Yune’s group was MIA. Everyone was probably close to someone in the group and worried about them. Xe and Richardo held classes every day, Xe doing guided meditation with whoever wanted to join while Richardo held a gym class for Mad Burnish members or members in training. Meis attended all of them, anything to keep his mind off worrying. Finally after three days, loud engines roared and a group of Mad Burnish members returned. Meis felt like crying when he saw his familiar redhead in the crowd. Gueira was safe.

He couldn’t stop himself from waiting by the door for him, eagerly following Gueira into the building. He looked exhausted. 

“Everyone rest up, we’ll have a meeting tomorrow morning.” Yune called out to her team.

“Yes ma’am.” Came the grumbled response. 

“Gueira.” Meis called to him, just a few paces away. The boy turned with a frown.

“I’m tired, Meis. We’ll talk later.” Gueira said, giving him a soft wave before following the rest of his team to rest up. Meis frowned, but it was the most Gueira had acknowledged him since they were first reunited, so Meis couldn’t find reason to complain. 

Sleep came easier knowing Gueira and the rest of the Mad Burnish were safe, but he was still anxious about their talk. What was he even going to say to him? He didn’t want to finally address the situation only to find out Gueira did hate him. Especially having joined Mad Burnish against his wishes? 

The next morning, Meis helped with kitchen duty despite not actually needing to anymore. It felt nice to have a bit of routine and familiarity in the new Burnish settlement. 

“Sit with me when you’re finished with duty.” Gueira said to him as he passed by to get his food. Meis nodded in agreement, feeling both excitement and anxiety bubble up in his chest. Once everyone was served, Meis excused himself with his own tray to sit by Gueira. There was an awkward air between them as they sat. It felt tense, Xe had even looked their way then decided to sit with someone else. 

“What did you want to talk about?” Gueira finally asked, turning to look at Meis. He looked almost sad, a face Meis had never been used to seeing on Gueira for long.

“You’ve been avoiding me ever since I got here.” Meis said, slight hesitation in his voice.

“Yeah.” Gueira agreed, “I thought I was making that clear.”

Meis felt his heart drop at the confirmation.

“But why? Did I do something?” Meis asked, desperation clear. He was tired of hiding himself, he didn’t want to anymore, especially not with Gueira.

“You became Burnish.” Gueira said, changing the topic as his fists clenched, “Why?”

“My mom died. That’s when I turned.” Meis said. Gueira’s face flashed with sympathy before it turned to the ground, his red locks covering half his face.

“That turned you? Your mom? Since when did she ever give a shit about you anyway?” Gueira asked, voice low.

“What?” Meis asked, feeling his body tense. 

“She stayed with your dad, didn’t she? She knew how awful he was and she still stayed in the house with him, leaving you subject to him.” Gueira continued, never looking up, “She never gave two shits about what happened, so why’d you turn for her? You should have at least turned over your d-”

Meis felt the hit before he registered that he’d done it, slapping the back of Gueira’s head with a roughness he’d never shown towards anyone else, palm stinging. 

“What the fuck happened to you these last three years?” Meis growled as he stood, eyes narrowed. Gueira stayed silent, head still down.

The commotion had grabbed a few peoples attention, some rushing over to Gueira while Meis stomped away. 

What the hell? Why was Gueira acting like this? He had never been the type to bring something like that up! Even when he had found out what was going on in Meis’ home, he’d been nothing but supportive. 

“Meis!” Xe called, running up to him, “Are you okay?” 

Meis felt a wave flood through him, a burning hot anger that boiled his very soul. With clenched fists, he couldn’t stop the flickering blue flames coming from his palms. Xe bounded forward, wrapping their arms around him and pulling him close.

“It’s okay.” Xe assured, clutching him tightly despite the flames that burst from every pore in his skin now. 

“He hates me.” 

“He doesn’t hate you.” Xe promised, letting Meis sob loudly into their shoulder. No tears actually came from Meis’ eyes, but it felt nice to whine in the heat of his flames. 

“Excuse me” A new voice interrupted. The two looked up, seeing Yune standing over them. Xe backed away from Meis, Meis wiping his still dry face. 

“I heard about the commotion. Are you alright?” Yune asked. Meis gave a small nod.

“Good. We still have an introductory meeting to hold. Go clean up and I’ll get Mad Burnish gathered.” Yune said, patting Meis’ shoulder, “Can you handle it?” 

Meis gave another nod, he was part of a team now, a team responsible for other people's lives. He couldn’t let Gueira distract him from his duties. Yune walked with him back inside, calling for the meeting. Meis stood by her with the rest of Mad Burnish gathered around. He kept his gaze down as he was introduced and welcomed to the team, listening idly to Yune telling the crew to help Meis out wherever he may need it. He could hear people whispering about Gueira and him in the audience. He did his best to ignore it.

“Now for initiation,” Yune put her hand on Meis’ shoulder, “And to get back at Freeze Force, we’re doing another raid and supply run.”

“So soon? Is that a good idea?” Someone asked in worry.

“We can’t give up, we have to show those ice block bastards they can’t deter us! Who’s with me?” Yune yelled to the crowd, earning cheers from the group. 

“Meis.” Yune spoke, turning towards him as the group started to get ready for their raid. “You’ll be on my team for this one, if you’re comfortable with that. We always want new members to get a feel of what we’re about.” 

Meis cast a glance at Gueira who turned away as soon as they met each other's eyes. 

“Let’s do it.” He had some frustrations to let out anyway. 

Engines roared at a cliffside, Meis alongside Yune with the rest of Mad Burnish waiting behind them.

“Burnin’ Burnish! Let’s go cause some chaos!” Yune yelled. Whoops, yells and laughter filled the air as the group took off, taking the long drive towards the city. Meis didn’t know what a raid consisted of, but he was determined to let out the destructive flames burning under his skin. Exhilaration grew as the city came into view, The back of the group speeding up to get into a triangle formation. 

“It’s Mad Burnish!” A civilian cried out.

“Run!” Another screamed. The streets filled with panic and Meis almost felt bad for causing it. They weren’t here to hurt people, they just had to survive. Unfortunately, the only way to do that right now was through violence. 

Yune raised her arms then cast them down, shooting flames from her palms onto a building. The group around them did the same, biking around and setting things aflame. The warmth of the city burning should have felt dangerous, but to Meis it felt like comfort.

“Come on newbie, show us what you’ve got.” Yune grinned at him. Meis couldn’t help but grin back as his body burst into blue flames. 

“Burn!” He yelled as he launched a stream towards the building, catching one of the lower floors.

“Nice, with some more practice you could be powerful.” Yune snickered then revved her bike, “Keep moving.” 

Meis rode down the street, setting fire to any buildings he could see, laughing as bliss flowed through him. All these years he’d been treated like shit because of Gueira being Burnish, Meis could finally get his revenge. If people were so scared of Burnish, he’d give them a reason to be. 

As he threw flames at another tall building, he caught sight of Gueira watching him. He looked surprised. Meis stopped for just a second to stare back, almost to challenge Gueira’s thoughts from this morning. Gueira may hate being Burnish, but to Meis it was almost liberating. 

“Burning Rescue! Watch out!” A voice called out. 

“Meis!” Gueira yelled.

Cold. Meis knew this feeling too well. It had been three years since he’d felt it but the ice encased around him was a feeling he’d never forget. He’d been caught. And Mad Burnish left. He couldn’t hear through the ice and his vision was blurry at best, but he could see Gueira. Rushing towards him despite Burning Rescue being right there. Gueira moved behind him, no longer in his vision. Please be safe. He heard muffled yelling then saw Yune in front of him, using her flames to melt the ice around him. As soon as Meis was free she grabbed his soggy figure and rushed off on her bike. Her brow was furrowed, eyes narrowed and lips in a tight frown.

“Gueira.” Meis whispered, letting the flames of Yune’s bike warm him as they took off.

“He’s in so much trouble.” Yune said through gritted teeth. Meis sighed in relief, he was safe.

When they returned to camp, Yune was quick to grab Gueira by the collar.

“You put everyone in danger with that stunt!” Yune growled.

“We all made it though! You were just going to leave him!” Gueira argued back, seemingly knowing he was going to be in trouble already. 

“You know our policy, Gueira. If there’s not a clear opening, we can’t help.”

“But I managed it!” 

Yune dropped his shirt, sighing in frustration, “Until further notice you’re being demoted to Xe’s team.”

“What? You can’t do that!” Gueira fought.

“I can and I am. I don’t want to hear another word about this. You can join my team again when you can control yourself.” 

Gueira grit his teeth, no doubt holding back a comment. Meis frowned, this was his fault, wasn’t it? He slowly walked towards the redhead, still upset at him but less now that he knew the boy had saved him. 

“Gueira..” Meis said softly, “Thank you.” 

“Yeah..” Gueira’s shoulders fell, “I’m taking a nap.” 

Meis let him walk off, unsure what was going on in Gueira’s mind.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter goes out to my friend Chu for being amazing and always encouraging me continue this story <3 Hope you enjoyed!!!


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